# std::span

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< cpp‎ | container

Defined in header `<span>` |  |
template< class T, std::size_t Extent = std::dynamic_extent > class span; |  | (since C++20)

The class template `span` describes an object that can refer to a contiguous sequence of objects with the first element of the sequence at position zero. A `span` can either have a static extent, in which case the number of elements in the sequence is known at compile-time and encoded in the type, or a dynamic extent.

For a `span` s, pointers, iterators, and references to elements of s are invalidated when an operation invalidates a pointer in the range `[`s.data()`,` s.data() + s.size()`)`.

Every specialization of `std::span` is a TriviallyCopyable type. | (since C++23)

A typical implementation holds a pointer to `T`, if the extent is dynamic, the implementation also holds a size.

### Template parameters

T | - | element type; must be a complete object type that is not an abstract class type
Extent | - | the number of elements in the sequence, or `std::dynamic_extent` if dynamic

### Member types

Member type | Definition
`element_type` | `T`
`value_type` | std::remove_cv_t<T>
`size_type` | std::size_t
`difference_type` | std::ptrdiff_t
`pointer` | T*
`const_pointer` | const T*
`reference` | T&
`const_reference` | const T&
`iterator` | implementation-defined LegacyRandomAccessIterator, ConstexprIterator, and `contiguous_iterator` whose `value_type` is `value_type`
`const_iterator` (since C++23) | std::const_iterator<iterator>
`reverse_iterator` | std::reverse_iterator<iterator>
`const_reverse_iterator` (since C++23) | std::const_iterator<reverse_iterator>

Note: `iterator` is a mutable iterator if `T` is not const-qualified.

All requirements on the iterator types of a Container apply to the `iterator` type of `span` as well.

### Member constant

Name | Value
constexpr std::size_t extent [static] | Extent (public static member constant)

### Member functions

(constructor) | constructs a `span` (public member function)
operator= | assigns a `span` (public member function)
(destructor) (implicitly declared) | destructs a `span` (public member function)
##### Iterators
begincbegin (C++23) | returns an iterator to the beginning (public member function)
endcend (C++23) | returns an iterator to the end (public member function)
rbegincrbegin (C++23) | returns a reverse iterator to the beginning (public member function)
rendcrend (C++23) | returns a reverse iterator to the end (public member function)
##### Element access
front | access the first element (public member function)
back | access the last element (public member function)
at (C++26) | access specified element with bounds checking (public member function)
operator[] | access specified element (public member function)
data | direct access to the underlying contiguous storage (public member function)
##### Observers
size | returns the number of elements (public member function)
size_bytes | returns the size of the sequence in bytes (public member function)
empty | checks if the sequence is empty (public member function)
##### Subviews
first | obtains a subspan consisting of the first `N` elements of the sequence (public member function)
last | obtains a subspan consisting of the last `N` elements of the sequence (public member function)
subspan | obtains a subspan (public member function)

### Non-member functions

as_bytesas_writable_bytes (C++20) | converts a `span` into a view of its underlying bytes (function template)

### Non-member constant

dynamic_extent (C++20) | a constant of type std::size_t signifying that the `span` has dynamic extent (constant)

### Helper templates

template< class T, std::size_t Extent > constexpr bool ranges::enable_borrowed_range<std::span<T, Extent>> = true; |  | (since C++20)

This specialization of ranges::enable_borrowed_range makes `span` satisfy `borrowed_range`.

template< class T, std::size_t Extent > constexpr bool ranges::enable_view<std::span<T, Extent>> = true; |  | (since C++20)

This specialization of ranges::enable_view makes `span` satisfy `view`.

### Deduction guides

### Notes

Specializations of `std::span` are already trivially copyable types in all existing implementations, even before the formal requirement introduced in C++23.

Feature-test macro | Value | Std | Feature
--- | --- | --- | ---
`__cpp_lib_span` | `202002L` | (C++20) | `std::span`
`202311L` | (C++26) | std::span::at
`__cpp_lib_span_initializer_list` | `202311L` | (C++26) | Constructing `std::span` from a std::initializer_list

### Example

The example uses `std::span` to implement some algorithms on contiguous ranges.

Run this code

    #include <algorithm>
    #include <cstddef>
    #include <iostream>
    #include <span>

    template<class T, std::size_t N>
    [[nodiscard]]
    constexpr auto slide(std::span<T, N> s, std::size_t offset, std::size_t width)
    {
        return s.subspan(offset, offset + width <= s.size() ? width : 0U);
    }

    template<class T, std::size_t N, std::size_t M>
    constexpr bool starts_with(std::span<T, N> data, std::span<T, M> prefix)
    {
        return data.size() >= prefix.size()
            && std::equal(prefix.begin(), prefix.end(), data.begin());
    }

    template<class T, std::size_t N, std::size_t M>
    constexpr bool ends_with(std::span<T, N> data, std::span<T, M> suffix)
    {
        return data.size() >= suffix.size()
            && std::equal(data.end() - suffix.size(), data.end(),
                          suffix.end() - suffix.size());
    }

    template<class T, std::size_t N, std::size_t M>
    constexpr bool contains(std::span<T, N> span, std::span<T, M> sub)
    {
        return std::ranges::search(span, sub).begin() != span.end();
    }

    void println(const auto& seq)
    {
        for (const auto& elem : seq)
            std::cout << elem << ' ';
        std::cout << '\n';
    }

    int main()
    {
        constexpr int a[]{0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8};
        constexpr int b[]{8, 7, 6};
        constexpr static std::size_t width{6};

        for (std::size_t offset{}; ; ++offset)
            if (auto s = slide(std::span{a}, offset, width); !s.empty())
                println(s);
            else
                break;

        static_assert(""
            && starts_with(std::span{a}, std::span{a, 4})
            && starts_with(std::span{a + 1, 4}, std::span{a + 1, 3})
            && !starts_with(std::span{a}, std::span{b})
            && !starts_with(std::span{a, 8}, std::span{a + 1, 3})
            && ends_with(std::span{a}, std::span{a + 6, 3})
            && !ends_with(std::span{a}, std::span{a + 6, 2})
            && contains(std::span{a}, std::span{a + 1, 4})
            && !contains(std::span{a, 8}, std::span{a, 9})
        );
    }

Output:

    0 1 2 3 4 5
    1 2 3 4 5 6
    2 3 4 5 6 7
    3 4 5 6 7 8

### Defect reports

The following behavior-changing defect reports were applied retroactively to previously published C++ standards.

DR | Applied to | Behavior as published | Correct behavior
--- | --- | --- | ---
LWG 3203 | C++20 | it was unclear when the pointers, iterators, and references to elements of `span` are invalidated | made clear
LWG 3903 | C++20 | the declaration of `span`'s destructor was unnecessary | removed the declaration
P2325R3 | C++20 | a `span` of non-zero static extents was not a `view` | any `span` is a `view`

### See also

mdspan (C++23) | a multi-dimensional non-owning array view (class template)
ranges::subrange (C++20) | combines an iterator-sentinel pair into a `view` (class template)
initializer_list (C++11) | references a temporary array created in list-initialization (class template)
basic_string_view (C++17) | read-only string view (class template)

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